This week we celebrated another American birthday and our freedom and independence. The Fourth of July is always a special time for families and friends to get together, honor our country and think about how our freedoms make us unique among other countries.
Yet, according to some recent national polling, national pride is way down. Majorities of Republicans and independents and nearly half of Democrats feel dissatisfied with our country.
There are a number of reasons for these feelings. The lingering effects of the pandemic continue to impact our economy in major ways. Recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, particularly the overturning of Roe v. Wade, have created additional divisions that our nation must face. The Jan. 6 hearings are bringing some disturbing behavior to light.
Extreme factions in both of the major political parties seem to be driving the discontent. Yet, most Americans say they don't identify with the extreme left or extreme right — so why are the extreme factions setting policy and driving so much of the dialogue in our country?
Most people reside in the middle, where compromise is possible and where the ability to listen to other viewpoints is possible. Most people can explore and accept new ideas, and most people live in a world where cooperation is valued and consensus can be achieved.
But, somehow, somewhere along the way, we have allowed our political parties, and in turn, our elected leaders to lead from the fringe. So, if we really want things to change, and we want to truly address our division, it's time to look toward political leaders willing to understand the middle ground and to seek compromise.
Let's face it, as long as we allow our political leaders to only be willing to accept their extreme policies and nothing else, we will continue to become more divided.
Our country is based on the value of individualism. But at some point, we have to understand that compromise gets us closer to making progress in dealing with major national issues. We can use our individual strengths to create policies what will benefit us all in the future. We've done it before, and it's time to do it again.
There will be some runoff elections in August to determine nominations for several offices. The general election will be in November. We encourage voters to study those candidates still in the running and look for those who don't play to the extremes. We understand those candidates may be difficult to come by.
However, we have to start somewhere, and the 2022 election is one place to get started. Let's quit accepting extreme ideologies as our only options.
[Editorial / Enid News & Eagle]
